I'm collating discography data for the *whisper it* new WH.com, and it's the one bit of information that seems to defy any attempt to nail it down - even the Guinness book of hit singles doesn't list it. It being the internet, I expected at least somebody to have got a date - even one that's obviously wrong, but not one person has gone beyond Nov 1992.

Nickinvincible wrote:Oooh forget which is the right answer, I'm gonna say that it was the 9th, for no other reason than it sounds right in my head. There's your answer.

You're the second person to say that date, but I didn't tell my mate what the question was when I asked him - I just gave him the numbers, so that probably doesn't count.

Ean Ü

"I have to go along with all this reclusive genius stuff... she's going to be very upset when she finds out I'm a reclusive wanker."

It was my first ever purchase in a long hopefully never stopping line of WH related goodies! I can remember actually wanting to get it before I went to Glasgow to see them not support Izzy Stradlin (they got kicked off the tour).

Although you've got to remember that release dates seemed to be a lot more fluid in those days especially for newer and smaller bands .. i.e. the record company would promise one Monday and it would eventually come the 2 Mondays after. Or maybe that's because I lived in the Scottish Highlands and the local record shop had to wait longer. My point is that's why an actual release date might be hard to hard.

Years ago I had a Record Collector with an article on the Wildhearts, think it was a few pages long, detailing some of their rarer releases along with their story. If anyone can get hold of that it's possible it will tell you in there. It's probably still at my parents, but I'm not planning on visiting anytime soon.

I've just been going through the old press cuttings for clues, and the best I can offer is an undated Kerrang! news piece announcing that The Wildhearts would be supporting Izzy Stradlin And The Ju Ju Hounds on their UK tour "beginning next week". At the end, it mentions that The Wildhearts "have just released" Don't Be Happy... Just Worry.

The Ju Ju Hounds tour was due to reach the UK on 4 December 1992 (the first three dates were apparently cancelled, but as that probably happened after Kerrang!'s print deadline I don't think it matters). So if the tour was "next week", and the EP had only just come out, it looks like its release date was closer to the end of the month than the beginning - though this theory depends how literally you take the term "just released". It might narrow the field, but it might be a red herring; I don't know.

The EP got 4Ks in Kerrang!, by the way. Steve Beebee did the honours. As Damian says, if anyone does have the original magazine (I don't - just the page), the date on the front will be a strong piece of evidence for the record's release the following Monday. I think that, generally speaking, Record Collector's dating style just lists the month and year, though I might be wrong.

The kerrang review of 'Don't be happy..' was in the November 21st edition.

Also in the same issue a news item about the Wildhearts parting company with Bam. At the end of the article it says 'In the meantime, the band release a 'double ep' titled "don't be happy.."' No actual dates though.

Will keep looking - now I've dug these out of the deepest darkest corners of the attic I might as well.